Valve for turbines.



R. H. RICE.

VALVE FOR TURBINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 0, 19121 Patented May 13, 1913.

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R. H. RICE.

VALVE FOR TURBINES APPLICATION TILED NOV.9, 1912.

1,061,690. Patented MaylS, 1913.

2 BHEE'lS-SHEET 2.

Inventor: Richard H. Qice,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD I-I. RICE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VALVE FOR TURBIN ES.

Speciflcatibn of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1913.

Application filed November 9,1912. Serial No. 730,326.

'Lynn, county ofEssex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elastic fluid turbines, and Its object is to provide a simple and etficient valve gear for admitting motive fluid to the nozzles or fluid passages of such a machine. Itis customary to provide a pl-uralit of nozzles or groups thereof, each nozze or group being provided with its individual admission valve. The valve gear is so arranged that the speed governor will open said valves in succession, so that the demand for steam to carry a varying load will be taken care of by the opening and closing of'the proper number of valves. In a prior Patent No. 801,399, dated October 10, 1905, I" h'aveshown a construction in which a lever is arranged to actuate a series of valves placed side by side and each receiving steam from a common steam chest so that all are subjected to the same initial pressure. There are some drawbacks in such an arrangement, among which may be mentioned the liability of the valves to leak through improper care or faulty workmanship, which entails a dead loss of motive fluid.

Thepresent-invention is designed to prevent this waste, by so arranging the valves that the steam flows through them in series, only one valve being subjected to the initial pressure under any condition of operation. If steam leakspast -this valve it goes to the next nozzle and is not wholly wasted. I arrange the valves in a vertical tier, strung loosely on a common stem, on which are secured lifters so spaced that they pick up the valves in succession as the stem is pulled up by the speed governor. Each valve as it opens admits steam to its own nozzle or group thereof, and also to a chamber above the next valve in the series, so that when the governor proceeds to lift said latter valve steam will instantly flow to the next nozzle, and so on. a

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved valve gear. Fig. 2 is a cross-section, on the line 2- 2, Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a horizontal turbine equipped with said valve gear.

The valve casing is a shell 1 having a plurality of partitions 2, dividing it into chamhers (I, b, 0', etc. each leading to its respective nozzle or group thereof. A steam main 3 18 connected with the first chamber a. In

each partition is an openin into which ismore ports 7 between the seats 5, 6. Rising from the partition next below is a cylinder 8 having a diaphragm 9 and one or more ports 10 below the same. The cylinder is preferably separate from the bushing, and its upper and lower ends are suitably interlocked with the ends of the adjacent bushings, being slightly smaller in diameter than the one above and larger than the one below. The upper bushing extends up through the chamber a and has ports 11. In the chamber 0 the 'ported cylinder is omitted, the bushing extending down to the partition 12. An annular double seated valve rests. on the seats 5, 6 in each bushing. The area of the upper seat on the valve is slightly larger than that of the lower seat, so that there is a small unbalanced pressure tending to seat the valve positively. A valve stem 13 passes centrally through the tier of valves, bushings, ported cylinders and their diaphragms. Where the stem goes through a diaphragm the joint may be suitably packed, if desired.

O nthe stem are secured a plurality of valve lifters, each consisting )roferably of a sleeve 14 fitting said stem an having radial wings 15 sliding freely through the annular valve, each wing having a lip 16 to engage the lower edge of the valve. The lifters are so positioned on the storm that they engage with their valves in succession, the upper valve lifting first.

The reason for making the bushings or cylinders progressively decreasing in diameter from one end to the other of the tier is to enable them to be readily assembled or taken out, each one passing easily through the openings in the partitions above it, and all being accessible when the cap 17 of the the next casing is taken off. drop down through all the bushings to the ones designed to receive them respectively The stem 13 is provided with a stufiing bOX 18 where it passes through said cap: a

The steam entering the chamber a flows through the ports 11 and fills the space inside the upper valve 12 and above the diaphragm 9. As soon as the governor lifts this upper valve, the steam flows through the ports 7 in the bushing 4 into the chamber?) and the passage 1) leading to the first nozzle or group of nozzles. It also passes byway of the ports 10 into the space above lower valve, which thus becomes subjected to boiler pressure. This valve,

however, is the only one thus subjected, so

tht leakage, if any, is restricted to one val e. The same thing holds true as the valves are successively lifted by the governor 19.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the'principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but

means for lifting said valves in succession,

' v and means whereby the steam can pass through one valve after another in series, as they are successively opened.

2. The combination with a valve casing The valves, also, can

, valve, and a having a plurality of partitions dividing it into chambers and containing alined openings, of a ported bushing for sa d opening in each chamber, having seats for a double ing provide with a diaphragm.

3. The combination with a valve casing having a plurality of (partitions containing openings progressively decreasing in diameter, of bushings fitting respective openings and having interior valve seats, ports in said bushings between said seats, and a ported cy'linderextending from each bushing to the opening in the next partition below, and provided with a diaphra aboveits ports.

4. .The combination with a valve casing having a plurality of partitions containing openings progressively decreasing in diameter, of '3, tier of ported bushings in said openings provided with valve seats above and below said ports, annular valves on said seats, ported cylinders below said'bushings provided with diaphragms, and a stem for operating said valves.

5. The combination with a valve casing having a plurality of partitions containing openings progressively decreasing in diame ter, of a tier of ported bushings in said openings provided-with valve seats above and below said orts, annular valves on said seats, ported cy inders below' said bushings provided with diaphragms, a stem for operating said valves, and valve lifters on said stem positioned to act on said valves in succession.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of November, 1912.

RICHARD H. RICE.

Witnesses: JOHN A. MoMANUs, Jr., FRANK G. HA'ITIE.

orted cylinder below said bush- 

